


The Jeweller's Hands

by cyberbunny



Category: Cyberpunk 2077 (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Hurt/Comfort, the girls are in love!!!!, v is stupid and gets hurt a lot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-15 18:14:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28693053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cyberbunny/pseuds/cyberbunny
Summary: A simple job doesn’t go as planned. V is stumbling into her apartment, half-dead, again. But this time, she knows who to call.
Relationships: Judy Alvarez/Female V
Comments: 16
Kudos: 280





	The Jeweller's Hands

**Author's Note:**

> Set shortly before Pyramid Song - spoilers for V’s name. Title from the Arctic Monkeys song of the same name.

And V is stumbling, tripping over her own feet, and her vision is so blurred with smoke that she collapses as soon as she makes it through the door of her apartment, and somewhere, she thinks, she can hear Nibbles cry, and she wonders if he knows something’s wrong.

“B’fine,” she says to the floor, cheek sticking against cold slate. She tries to push herself up on weak arms. “I’ll b’fine.”

She is not. Her elbows give and she smacks her face against the floor again.

“V? V?!”

“Not. . .the time.” V pushes out. Johnny is kneeling next to her, expression both concerned and deeply annoyed. She dabs a hand to her ribs, wincing - they’re too tender. “Don’t wanna hear it.”

“For fuck’s sake, V, I was going to say you should fucking call someone. You’ve only been this rough. . .back then. ‘N I don’t know if I can do it again.”

V knows what he’s referring to. The relic didn’t come with any promises of saving one’s life twice.

“Who do you suggest I call?” V slumps further, rolling onto her back. She looks up at the apartment’s sterile ceiling, past her Lizzy Wizzy posters and the clothes flung on shelves and the scattered takeout containers - all easy enough to clean up if she decides to expire on this cold floor.

There’s something cold and wet against V’s cheek. She smiles at the sandpapery feeling of her cat’s tongue, and Nibbles mewls again. He’s worried.

“Well, who the hell do you know that would be willing to patch you up at the asscrack of dawn?” Johnny’s trying hard to sound tough, but his voice frays at the edges. “Can you afford another ripper?”

“Ahh.” V sighs out as it comes to her. “Don’t need one. Need her.”

Johnny shakes his head, but his eyebrows above those blackened aviators are soft. V knows he understands - he has to.

“Useless,” he mutters, before walking out of V’s frame of vision. She doesn’t need to turn to know he’s gone. Taking a deep breath in, she twists her bruised arm to her back pocket and pulls out her phone. Judy’s contact comes up immediately. Nibbles nips at V’s arm while she shakily holds the phone above her head.

Judy picks up after a ring and a half. At first, her voice is upbeat - but as she catches a glimpse of V’s mug through the holo, her voice hitches. “Hey - V?! Holy shit! Are you okay?”

“Sorry to bother you so late, Jude. . .” V’s tone is apologetic, but so strained with pain that anyone could see through it. “But I think I need to cash in a favor.”

“I’ll be there in five. Don’t move.” Judy’s face on the holo is warped, and V feels an odd sense of warmth seeing her so worried. Care like that wasn’t a common resource in Night City.

“I won’t go anywhere.” V smiles, hoping there isn’t any blood on her teeth, and hangs up.

✿

“Jesus fuck!”

Judy practically bursts through the door with a duffel bag slung over her shoulder. She doesn’t account for V being sprawled on the floor in front of her, and nearly catches the end of her foot on V’s leg.

“Hey there.” V is trying to sound light, but her act is thoroughly weakened by how raspy her voice is.

“Oh my God. Oh my God.” Judy kneels down, bag clattering to the floor, as she takes V’s battered face in warm hands. V sees her frantic expression as she leans over her, hair falling in a sheet, and feels a pang of guilt. She found Ev like this, didn’t she?

If V could help it, though, she wasn’t going to repeat that scenario.

“Glad you showed up. . .” V says, and her small smile is genuine. “Nice to see you outside of biz.”

“You’re talking a hell of a lot for someone so. . .” Judy shakes her head, and doesn’t finish her sentence. Instead, she roots through her bag, pulls out a MaxDoc, and holds it to V’s lips as she puffs it out. V inhales the familiar gas, and sighs as her pain is eased.

Judy holds one side of V’s face in her hand, and V leans into the touch. The painkiller has her feeling a little high, and the hurt in her ribs and back has gone only from a stabbing throb to a gentler ache. Even so, she reaches up one hand, and takes Judy’s from her face.

“You didn’t listen to me,” V says gently. “I really am happy to see you.” Her vision is still blurred, but she can see how scared Judy’s eyes are, and she almost regrets calling her. She doesn’t ever want to scare her like this again.

Judy squeezes her hand, but her voice is still on edge. “Honestly, V, I would be happier if it didn’t have to be with one of us bleedin’ on the floor.”

V cracks a smile. Judy’s cheeks are wet, but she slowly seems more relieved the more coherent V becomes.

“You know, Judy, I -”

“Uh-uh.” Judy shakes her head vehemently. “No more for now. We’ve gotta get you cleaned up.”

V only nods, and Judy begins to dig in her bag again, administering a few more MaxDocs. V’s head clears a little more with each one, until Judy is gently coaxing her up, up, up, and she falls down again on the soft comfort of her bed.

“Aww. . .” V pouts. “I’m filthy.”

“So demanding! I’m getting to it.” Judy smiles, despite the spooked look that remains in her eyes. She leaves the bedside with a hesitant hand trailing on V’s shoulders.

V hears the other woman puttering around in the bathroom, and she emerges with a damp towel in hand, leaning gently over V.

“Took the least grimy one I could find,” she teases, as she dabs gently at V’s cheekbone. The motion stings, but V does her best not to show it - a noble effort, but unsuccessful, judging by the furrow in Judy’s brow. “Okay, arms up.” 

V complies, pushing herself up and holding out her arms. Judy helps her shrug her jacket off, and then her shirt. Judy’s face blanches as she sees the sorry state of V’s abdomen. Blue and reddish bruises stain her stomach, far larger than they should be. Judy’s eyes flicker up to V for explanation.

“Maelstromer,” V provides. “Big metal bat.”

“Christ,” Judy mutters. She busies herself with dabbing the blood away with the towel. V notices her hands have started to tremble.

Hesitantly, V brings her arm up, and covers Judy’s hand with her own. Judy stops fussing and looks at V with the expression she’s been covering under her sheet of neon hair; a scared one.

“Jude. . .” V starts, and she herself doesn’t really know where she’s going. She picks up Judy’s hand and wraps their fingers together. “Please. Know I’m not gonna die on you. I’m not gonna leave.”

“You say that like you have a choice,” Judy spits, but her grip on V’s hand is hard and her eyes are glassy. She stares holes into the wall beside the bed. “You say that like it’s not your job to get this fucked up, all the time!”

V startles. She knew she and Judy cared for each other in a way that only survivors of a mutual tragedy could; but this was new. She hadn’t heard her talk this way to anyone else. It’s special, and that’s why what she says next surprises even her.

“Don’t have to be.”

“What?” Judy looks at her, still apprehensive.

“Doesn’t have to be my job. Not forever.” V feels herself sobering, mind clearing. “Didn’t plan for it to be, anyway. You know. . .I kinda do want to live past thirty.”

Judy just stares at her. “But V. . .being a merc’s your shit, and all. . .”

V shakes her head. “Born outta necessity. Just so happened it became a long-time gig. And, Jude. . .”

She squeezes her hand again. “I didn’t used to wanna live. I used to wait for days like today to come. So I could just. . .you know. Fuck off the plane. Not deal with all this anymore.

“But. . .you know I’m comin’ close to that, lately, with the relic. . . and it makes me realize. There’re a lot of things I wanna see. A lot of places I haven’t gone to yet. A lot of reasons to stick around.”

“So multitalented, my V.” A ghost of a smile appears on Judy’s face. “Poetic even while she’s mostly black and blue.”

V laughs a little, but her mind catches, face heats. My. 

She needed a little proof she wasn’t hallucinating this, that it wasn’t too good to be true; all the texts and remarks and looks they’d exchanged, hovering over something neither of them dared touch. But it was there, and it was real, and if she managed not to fuck this one thing up, it might even grow into something precious. That was not an opportunity V cared to lose.

“Jude. . .” she lifts up the other woman’s hand, and kisses it softly. Judy’s eyes widen.

“Earlier, you didn’t let me finish,” V continues. “When you moved me over here. I was about to tell you. . .I fully planned to keep our date for tomorrow night, you know.”

At this, Judy finally smiles, softly, sweetly. It’s nothing like the smug, joyful expression she usually wears, and V is almost surprised. The way Judy flirts, she seems unshakeable.

Doesn’t take much to come back, V soon realizes.

Judy shakes her head, but her smile grows. “You fucking gonk.”

“Your gonk.”

Judy looks up, the wicked grin V loves so much returning. “My gonk.”

Judy takes the initiative, as she tends to. Careful not to brush any of V’s sensitive skin, she reaches over her, hair brushing the other woman’s face. Judy stares at her for a second, eyes searching, though V isn’t sure for what; and then she dips down and kisses her.

V can feel Judy’s last remaining reservations, so she decides to dispel any doubt by wrapping her arms around Judy’s neck and pulling her in closer. Judy smiles against her lips, and V relishes knowing that they’re both too excited to hide it. V has been waiting for this; and, by the looks of it, Judy has too.

Judy pulls away before their kiss can deepen, and she must pick up on V’s pout, because her laughter rings clear throughout the apartment. “Sorry, honey, but where we were goin’, you might wanna be a little sturdier.”

“Nah, it’s no problem,” V says earnestly. “I’m feeling better already, see?”

Judy laughs, kisses her again. Her lips are soft, and her hands, as they hold V steadily by the battered waist, are warmer than V’s ever felt. Their lips fit together, and V inhales sharply as Judy’s slender hand grazes her chest, mouth opening against hers - and then Judy pulls again.

“You’re awful,” V sighs, and Judy cackles.

“Oh, don’t worry, baby,” she purrs. “As soon as you’re back on your feet, I’ll sweep you off ‘em again.”

“Jude!” V bats at Judy’s face as she laughs, devilish. V hopes she’s hiding the flush on her face; not a good look for a tough girl, though the thought of being under the woman in front of her was enough to turn her to jelly. And, well, she knows she’d be under. It’s not even a question.

“Hey, hey, V,” Judy says, laughter subsiding. “Look at me.”

Despite her stuttery heartbeat, V looks over at Judy, whose face has sobered.

“V, what do you. . .what is. . .” Judy motions around, almost nervously. “This. . .us. Do you want -”

“I want it to last,” V says, calmer now, because she knows how she feels. “If that’s what you want, too.”

Judy beams. “Read my mind.”

“Gettin’ pretty good at that.”

Judy laughs, and gently pushes at V’s side. “Move it, hot stuff.”

V gladly complies, and pulls off her shoes, snuggling further into the bed. She has to admit, it feels nice - especially when Judy sits beside her, and opens a package of bandages. She peels off the backs and places them over the largest scratches with care, hands just as meticulous as they are over a keyboard. V realizes she loves those hands, and all they’re capable of; more, she thinks, than her own whole body.

“Ack?!” Suddenly Judy jolts and lets out a cry, dropping the bandage.

V goes on high alert. “What’s -”

But before she can finish her question, Judy is laughing, that lovely sound, and reaching down to the floor. She scoops up the little hairless cat, who dangles, unafraid, in her arms.

“Oh, Nibbles!” V says, filled with happiness at seeing her silly companion. “I’m sorry, he’s a bastard.”

“Hm - just like me. Love him already.” Judy smiles, and gathers Nibbles comfortably in her lap, where he pushes his head against her leg. 

V looks at them together, her favorite person and her favorite cat, seeming to go together so naturally; and she’s a little surprised by the longing that it instills in her. She doesn’t want Judy to leave. 

As Judy picks up the bandage she’d dropped and carefully dresses the last of V’s wounds, V decides to speak.

“You know, Jude. . .” she smiles. “Nibbles seems to like you. . .probably would be torn up if you left.”

It’s not untrue; the cat is comfortable in Judy’s lap. But she grins all the same. “Oh, well, now - we wouldn’t wanna get on his bad side.”

“Nope, he’s a scratcher.”

“Fiiiiine then…guess I’ll just have to stick around.” Judy makes a show of rolling her eyes as she tosses the remaining medical equipment to the floor, pulls off her shoes, and relocates Nibbles to V’s other side. Stretching, she unbuttons her overalls, pulls them off in one motion, and lies by V’s side, as if she was meant to be there all along. She does it all so fluidly that V is a little stunned when she feels Judy’s arms, hot to the touch, reach around her.

“Okay?” Judy asks, resting her chin on V’s shoulder.

“More than,” V answers, and Judy presses her lips to her collarbone.

Some time passes, and V can feel her vision getting fuzzy. She can’t help it; with her pain eased, and the warm, wonderful woman at her side, she’s more relaxed than she’s been in a while. But she decides she wants to get something out of the way before she passes out for good.

“Judy.”

“Yeah?”

“If you want. . .you can call me Valerie.”

Judy is quiet, but when she speaks again, V hears the smile in her voice.

“Good night, Valerie.”

She wraps her arms tighter, and V finally drifts off.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Judy is such a wonderful and compelling character that this is the first fic I’ve finished in a long time, but her and V deserve it. I wish them (cough, her and me) a lovely life together, and many more cats.


End file.
